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TfL sets out plans to keep capital moving during strikes over modernisation of London Underground 

• LU to run as many services as possible, but there will be disruption and customers urged to check before they travel at tfl.gov.uk
• Extra bus and river services, to help Londoners get around
• Licensed and trained TfL Ambassadors will help to keep Tube stations open and provide travel information and advice to customers
• LU’s plans to radically improve customer service, with more staff visible and available to help customers in public areas of Tube stations
• LU guarantees no compulsory redundancies, that no member of staff will be forced to leave LU and that it is seeking ways to ensure no staff lose pay as a result of change 

Transport for London (TfL) today set out a range of measures to help keep London moving and open for business this week, should the strikes threatened by the leadership of the RMT union on London Underground (LU) go ahead.  

LU is consulting with trade unions and staff over its plans to modernise the Tube and radically improve customer service.

Under LU's plans, the public areas of stations – ticket halls, gate lines and platforms – will effectively become personalised customer service centres, replicating the standards of service LU were able to offer during the London 2012 Games.  

Staff will be brought out from behind hidden back offices and the glass windows of under-used ticket offices to better serve customers.

Everything that customers can do at a ticket office window today will be available to them more readily in future, with more LU staff visible and available to help customers buy the right ticket, plan their journey and keep them safe and secure.

There will be even more staff available to help customers with disabilities and new Visitor Information Centres will cater for the needs of tourists and visitors to London at the busiest Tube stations, including selling tickets.  

In addition, LU has guaranteed that not a single member of staff will be forced to leave the company as a result of plans to modernise customer service on the Tube.

There will also be no compulsory redundancies and LU is seeking ways to ensure no member of staff sees their pay cut as a result of the changes proposed.  

Over the last two months there have been intensive discussions with all trade unions, meeting more than 40 times to explain these proposals in detail.

LU has listened, and have made changes to our proposals as a result. However, the RMT leadership has nonetheless instructed their members to carry out five days of strike action over the next two weeks.  

Two strikes have been called, one 48 hours and one 72 hours, at LU which will affect services from:

• 21:30hrs this evening, Monday 28 April and throughout the whole of Tuesday 29 and Wednesday 30 April
• 21:00hrs on Monday 5 May and throughout the whole of Tuesday 6, Wednesday 7 and Thursday 8 May.  

Phil Hufton, London Underground’s Chief operating Officer, said: “Our plans will radically improve the service we offer Tube customers in future. The whole Tube station will effectively become a personalised customer service centre, with more staff visible and available to help customers buy the right ticket, plan their journeys and get assistance.   “Over the past eight weeks, we have met with trades unions on more than 40 separate occasions. We have listened to their concerns and made changes as a result. We’ve provided guarantees that not a single member of staff will be forced to leave LU, that no supervisors must ‘apply for their own job’ and we are seeking ways to ensure that no member of staff sees their pay cut as a result of these changes.   Given these commitments and guarantees, Londoners will rightly be asking why the RMT is threatening five days of strikes. All it will achieve is disruption to Londoners and a loss of pay for all those staff who take part. My message to the RMT leadership is its not too late to call off this unnecessary strike and continue to work with us to help shape the future of the Tube. However, should it go ahead we will be working hard to keep London moving and open for business.”  

Travel advice to customers during the RMT strike action: Should the strike action go ahead, LU will keep as many stations open and run as many trains as possible.

Services will be affected from 21:30hrs this evening Monday 28 April so customers are asked to try and complete journeys as early as possible this evening.

If your Oyster card needs topping up, it may help to do this in advance of the industrial action starting.  

There will be disruption to journeys tomorrow and Wednesday, when Tube services will start later and finish earlier than normal – where running a service is possible, trains will run from around 07:00hrs or as soon as possible after that to around 23:00hrs with no service beyond that.  

Customers are advised that final services from central London may depart significantly earlier than this, at around 21:30hrs.  

Although it is not possible to say exactly what services we will be able to run, the line-by-line information below will help customers to plan journeys in advance.  

However, customers are advised that the situation may change throughout the day. Buses and other transport services may also be very busy.  

Those public transport workers who are on duty during the strike will be doing their very best to keep London moving and open for business. 

TfL asked customers for their patience during what may be difficult journeys.  

TfL Ambassadors and volunteers will also be on hand to provide customers with travel information and advice on the ground. TfL urges all customers to plan ahead and to check before they travel at tfl.gov.uk and by following @TfLTravelAlerts, @TfLTrafficNews and @TfLBusAlerts on Twitter.  

Football supporters travelling to watch Arsenal vs. Newcastle this evening are advised to plan in advance their journeys home as Tube services are unlikely to be serving the area.

Fans travelling to Chelsea’s Champions League match against Atletico Madrid on Wednesday should visit the club’s website for more information.  

Tube Services will be affected from around 9.30pm, so please complete your journey as early as possible.  

If strike action does take place and where we can operate services, trains will run from around 7.00am, or as soon as possible after that, and they are expected to conclude around 11.00pm, with no service beyond that.  

However, customers are advised that the last services from central London may depart significantly earlier than this, at around 9.30pm.   

We will run as many Tube services as we can but some lines may have only a limited service, and some sections will be closed. 

We cannot guarantee that we will be able to run all the planned services set out below and the situation may change throughout the day.  

In addition to those stations listed here as closed, some others may also need to close at times.  

Heathrow Express A reduced Heathrow Express service will run on Tuesday 29 April and Wednesday 30 April due to separate strike action by the RMT. Heathrow Express plans to run two trains an hour between Heathrow and Paddington and back. Check www.heathrowexpress.com for more information.

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